Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Wathen.
Hi Jason, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My company story started at 18 when my cousin asked me to film his wedding in 1998. They loved the video and ended up saving the day because the photographers camera broke at the ceremony which would have left them with nothing had I not been there to film. Anyway I thought after that event that I really liked the energy of being at an event and the joy the couple expressed watching their important moments and that my abilities would always be remembered for capturing them. Having not graduated highschool yet I wanted to find something I could work weekends to make money and focus on my school work during the week so I got a job with a local video/dj company based on the video I shot for my cousin. At first they were hesitant to send me out on my own but then one weekend came and they were in a bind and needed to someone to shoot solo so they asked me if I could use my own camera and go out and shoot. It’s crazy to think about now since at the time I had no real training before they sent me out but again my cousins video I guess gave them enough to trust me with the event. After that event went well I went on to shoot many more and in 2000 I started my own business called Milestone Productions marketing myself for events while still being a subcontractor for the other company. 10 years would pass shooting between 15 and 20 shoots a year transitioning from the clunky shoulder mount cameras to digital cameras like a Canon GL2 and better editing equipment. In 2010 I partnered up with another company called Patrick Fisher video and that escalated business to the next level to doing about 35 to 40 shoots a year and the production value raised since there was two of us under the name Milestone Pro Films. Unfortunately Patrick and I eventually parted ways since we didn’t see eye to eye on certain things regarding scale. After that I continued to book events and get into other areas of video like Legacy films when a person I knew wanted to commission me to create a biography of his life. Three years that project took and then at the end of it I got in a car accident and was unable to shoot for several years due to injury to my back then COVID seemed like a good time to take a pause. So I focused on my other business Milestone Media Group which operated without exposure to people building out online experiences. 2026 I have been getting back out there with video but still limiting myself due to some physical limitations I have limiting me from shooting 10 hour plus days like I used to. I look forward to the future and the next steps for Milestone Pro
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest struggle was having a business partner that wasn’t on the same page with me. Not understanding that growth needs to happen gradually and not to compromise quality to take on more customers just to make more money.
Another struggle was and is to this day the car accident I was in. My back never been the same since that accident and some of the shots I was able to get are no longer possible due to physical limitations which I why I have been branching out into other areas to make up for what I used to be able to do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As of right now my specialty is Media as a whole
-Video
-Lighting
-UX/UI Code Development
-Events
-Legacy Films
-Brand Films
-SEO
I am most proud that I have had the chance to work in many different facets of production so I understand how it’s done effectively. What sets me apart is experience since I have been doing it for over 20 years.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was always inquisitive, and entrepreneurial. I remember watching Nickelodeon and want to create graphics and productions like that. Before I films my cousins wedding my friends and I would film ourselves doing skits, music videos, short films, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://milestonepro.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/milestonepro
